The Western oceans have long since been a blight upon the world. Wracked by a consistent belt of storms that spread from pole to pole both East and West, none of the races and nations of the world of Ternin have seen what lay beyond the Stormbelt for nigh on 10 generations, but all were touched by the tendrils of the Lost Empire upon whose shores it lay beyond the tempest.

The great golden armies of the old imperium had conquered, subdued or vassalized every nation with a coast in millenia past. Extracting tribute and enacted punitive crusades upon interior nations that refused to recognise their dominance, or who dared to challenge their might. Their power and might unquestioned, their immense treasure fleets dwarfing ships of lesser nations, their tyranny stripping the nations of their technology and their best and brightest, all while soothing the seething masses with drugs and medicines which healed their bodies, but which dulled their minds, until the majority simply acquiesced to their rule, rather than lose their minds to the administrations of their Medigicians.

In time, as mysterious as the origin of the tempest, the golden armies of the old Imperium left their conquered nations, their treasure fleets retreating, never to return, their technology left abandoned, their cities and fortresses left unmanned and unguarded. It was not long after the Imperium retreated that the storm belt arose, cutting off the mysterious and forbidden lands to the West from which the old Imperium came.

The Nations of Ternin, unshackled from their servitude, soon developed as only free nations could. Contesting one another for the spoils of the old empire's demise, advancing and warring with one another to establish what was theirs, coming into their own after such a long bondage. And in time, while its scars and legacy still remained, these nations flourished and prospered, growing rich and powerful, all the while the storms raged across the seas from pole to frozen pole.

Only the most daring or foolish have ever sought to brave the stormbelt, in fascination of what might lay beyond, most going to their doom, never to be heard from again. But the brave and lucky few who did, sometimes came back. Speaking of great cities of silver with spires reaching to the heavens enwrapped in nature's grip. Strange and exotic beasts roaming the forests and hills. Rich fertile plains and ruins untapped in perhaps centuries, but no sign of the Empire who once ruled the known world. More to the point, these brave pioneers returned with artefacts to prove their tales.

Now the storms that have wracked the world grew weak, the seas becoming stilled, and the stories of the pioneers burn fresh in the minds of entire nations, with the bold and ambitious eager to carve out a name for themselves out of the carcass of and old and hated empire.

And perhaps, if they cared to, learn of its fate.

=Game Details=

This game has a large focus on party adventuring and expeditions, wether it be hunting great beasts, exploring a forgotten dungeon or blazing a trail deeper inland to set up outposts, camps and new settlements for future colonization. Parties can consist simply of players alone, some players and NPC back ups. Any timeskips will be measured in months and will usually happen after expeditions or if the players wish to timeskip (like say they have lost the majority of the colony in a massive disaster and they need to wait on the next fleet to drop off new redshirts for the meat grinder)

Your character is someone of prominence in the fleet. Either a famous adventurer, hero, lord or scoundrel. You were able to scrap together enough capital or influence to muscle your way onto this fleet. You don't have to have minions or any ships directly owned by you, but you are clearly someone most people would have heard about.

If you wish to play a sneaky character who the other players won't right away know who you are, either because you are disguised or you stowed away on board, please fill out the Application of who your character is, so that if and/or when they are revealed, they will be recognised for who they are.

The technology level is cyberpunk, which is essentially schizotech, and runs on Samurai Jack rules. If your character is particularly fighty, you can punch through robots whereas other players can't. If your character is particularly slicey, they can cut through robots with their swords, etc, etc. The only tech you're not allowed is anything that can take you out of the atmosphere, otherwise go nuts.

There will be a separate thread for expeditions, rather than having the whole thing take place in Private messages. So that when not on expedition, characters roleplay in this thread with all the shenanigans they get up to with the colony they are ostensibly but not really trying to help set up. Rival colonies and fleets, either by rival nations or rival adventurers will occasionally seek to cause you troubl as well. Can't let you guys have all the glory, now can they?

=Application=Name: What do people call you?Race: Human, elf, rat person, whatever, so long as its sensible.
Description: What do you look like?Nation: Whats your character's home nation?Ambition: Why are you seeking to head west into the forgotten empire?Bio: Whats your story?Rumours: For roleplaying purposes, please list five rumours people would have heard about you. Two are False, two are Exaggerations and one is true. Don't list which rumour is which in the thread and don't reveal them out of game, only PM to the GM the truth, let the other players figure it out for themselves.Minions: While any expedition into the unknown once you land can be mounted with people drawn from the numberless amount of simple crewmen and colonists, players are welcome to list out the kind of minions, employees, retainers and other servicemen they personally like to adventure with, be it individual NPCs or a group of Housecarls of a personal retinue.Ships: Optional, but your character can possess a private ship or airship of their own if you so wish. Be warned however, travelling out on your own can result in you being stranded if something goes wrong.

Race: Opis 25% - The Opis are people of the plains of Ternin. They are fast runners and are known for the horns that grow from their heads and their cloven hoofed feet. They are excellent hunters and farmers, and they get along well with humans. Many intermarry and bear mixed children, who have smaller horns and human feet, but with thick toes and black nails.

Human 75% - Regular old humans. You know 'em.

Description: Rovyn is a tall and proud quarter-Opis, inheriting his father's curled black horns and golden eyes. He has short black hair, a lean and muscular body, and an almost-perpetual smile on his face. He usually wears well-tailored but practical clothing - that is, when he isn't stripped to his waist in the fighting pits. He has a couple of scars, including a nasty one on his shoulder, but he isn't quite a hardened veteran yet. When he's doing a job he goes around with his hunting gear strapped to his back. Otherwise, he enjoys pubs and the company of women, sings decently well, and is a mean cook. He feels at ease in any social situation, from a fancy party to down in the dumps.

Nation: Eberforth - Eberforth is a land of stark contrasts, with wide swathes of sparsely-populated land dotted by dense cities of steel and concrete. It's nominally democratic, but the elections are so opaque that it's basically a dictatorship, with local governments acting as sort of feudal overseers for the central government. Most of the people are pretty poor, making by with the scraps of tech given to them by the rich. Oh yeah, and there are lots of problems that need fixing. Monsters in the wilds and in the cities, various skullduggery, that sort of thing.

Ambition: To get rich and famous, and maybe even work his way up the social ladder. He's getting tired of small jobs and wants to be in the big leagues.

Bio: Rovyn's early life was pretty uneventful. I mean, sure, he grew up in the city in that rare space between the ultra-rich and the dirt-poor, but his family was nothing but respectable. His father made good money as a small-time wholesaler, and things were all right. Which is of course why he was a huge troublemaker. Rovyn hung out both among the low-class kids of the undercity, where he learned to scrap and hustle, and was dragged along to higher-class events whenever his family was trying to be more respectable. So he picked up bits and pieces, here and there, and slowly he decided that there was a niche that was desperately going unfilled. The rich needed people to do jobs that they couldn't be seen getting involved with, and whenever a monster rampaged through a village, well, the police certainly didn't deal with those cases and people can pool enough money for it to be worthwhile when they get desperate.

So as soon as he could move out Rovyn did. He bought a gun with his saved-up allowance and started taking on jobs. Of course, he quickly got in trouble, so he skipped town and moved along, wandering from place to place, dealing with whatever local problems there were and moving on when his welcome was worn through. He met a lot of people, made some friends, made more enemies, and started getting bigger jobs. The first time he almost died was a deceptively simple mission. A businessman wanted a lab mutant who was rampaging around taken care of quietly, so that people would think it was just a regular monster attack. When Rovyn got there, however, he found out that the mutant wasn't just a dumb experiment - and it had help. Apparently the businessman was kidnapping random people to try and turn them into mutant killers, and this guy was a failed one who got out. Rovyn realized that as soon as he finished the job, he would probably be 'taken care of' as well, so he agreed to help the mutant and his friends take out the businessman instead. It wasn't that simple, though. The lab had really heavy defenses, so Rovyn decided to sneak in. He had almost made it to the main control room when he was confronted by a huge woman with incredible reflexes - apparently, a successful mutant. She closed distance before he could shoot, nearly tore his arm out of the socket, and started beating him to death. Thankfully, the others got in too when the security was distracted and managed to save him.

After several weeks of recuperation, Rovyn decided that he needed to get serious. He started training his body and seeking out people to improve his abilities. They weren't cheap, so he was always on the verge of going broke. Eventually, he built himself up, and started taking bigger jobs. His reputation had grown, and people were seeking him out. Recalling his dad's lessons on business, he decided to take advantage of it and set up a guild for people like him - mercenaries who did odd jobs. He started attracting folks together to do work that one person couldn't do alone. Of course, he wasn't the only one who had the same idea, so the cycle of moving around, taking jobs, and competing with rivals repeated itself, just on a larger scale.

When the storms started growing weak, Rovyn sensed an opportunity. He gave up command of his guild, drummed up a team, and strapped on his sword and his guns. After all, an expedition to the lands of the old Empire is the job of a lifetime, and Rovyn Grann-oc sure ain't missing it.

Rumours:

He killed a drakolisk with his bare hands

He's in deep debt to the Blue Phoenix syndicate's leader Hong Lee, which is why he avoids their territory like the plague

He beat up ten guys, stopped a heist, and saved the mayor of Rovensville, then refused any reward and donated it all to charity - while completely blackout drunk

He's secretly married and wandering to get away from his wife.

He has a super-secret training method which made him incredibly, superhumanly strong, and he's hiding this strength from everyone

Minions: Rovyn's Team:
Figaro Tullys - A stellar woodsman, tracker, and outdoorsman. Whenever you're out in the wilderness, it's always a good idea to bring Figaro along.
Eliane "Ellie" Ellis - Tech genius, also great at fitting into tight spaces. She's a cat-burglar through and through.
Min-Ji Moon - A master of the occult, she has powerful incantations for every occasion
Iasi - They're a doctor. And before you ask, no.
"Vitaliy Benjamin" - An experienced huckster, con-man, and cheat. But strangely enough, he hasn't betrayed Rovyn yet - unless he's playing a really long con.

Ships: Lady Luck - A light and fast yacht, barely big enough for the six of them.

Race: Birdman, a subspecies of Animan. A hybrid species believed to have been created by the old imperium for some reason. Each sup-species is a hybrid of a human and some kind of animal. Size's range from up to 10 feet tall from down to 3 feet. Once an Animan reaches about 50 years of age, they begin to be afflicted by some kind of curse or genetic defect that begins to mutate and regress them into more animalistic forms and mentalities over the next few decades

Description: Wears a slightly faded and worm down black military tunic with grey buttons, and light sandy brown trousers. A waist length pale sky-blue cape, and a military rapier, reasonably simple in design and ornamentation but custom-made for his grip. And he has human-length arms and legs that end in prehensile talons and an angry-looking bird head. 42 years old.

Nation: The warlands of Morane. A nation that has only recently politically stabilised after a civil war led by old ruling lords and a gathering of common-folk, they keep many of the old titles and still attribute some power to them as a concession to the losing side, but the titles can more easily be stripped away and granted. Now led by the Great Parliament of Animen.

Ambition: Based off legends of the origins of his people, Lord Harvey wishes to see if he can find a cure to the afflictions that strike at the elders of his nation.

Bio: Harvey A. Hawk was born into the old nobility of the Avone faction, a group that used to rule and speak for all birdman amongst the races of Marone before the revolution and formation of the Great Parliament only 10 years ago. During the civil war between those resisting the tearing down the old boundaries and dissolving of the nobility, Harvey supported the side of the Great Parliament, hoping that it would lead to a new era of unification between the Maronian's instead of the constant struggles and wars between the factions and end the blood sports and duels and grudges amongst the rulers that splashed over to the people. The civil war took 13 years to resolve, with the remaining Nobility surrendering power to the Great Parliament and the armies finally standing down. Lord Harvey took over what remained of his own house, claiming it's resources and using what political power he could gain from his service and old house to try and help Marone recover under the GP, and smooth over the remaining wrinkles and contempt from the war.

Now, that the Stormbelt is fading, the GP has funded an expedition, to show that the new Powers of Marone still have weight and security after the war, and to see what information can be found on the origins of the Marone animal people in the far lands, and if a cure for the devolution that strikes them down in their old age, that begins to mutate them into even more animalistic forms and destroy their minds in the process.

Rumours:
Lord Harvey has killed over a thousand Animan himself, and over 50 nobles in blood-duels.
Lord Harvey can read a book ten miles away, small print.
Lord Harvey's sword was prophesied to end the Hawke bloodline by a Priman shaman, a prophecy Harvey accepted in order to help bring down his family during the war.
Lord Harvey has begun to be affected by the Animan affliction already which is why he agreed to lead the expedition.
Lord Harvey's only true love is adventure, and only goal is fighting for the good of Marone.

Minions: Sir Robin, a birdman. Diplomatic expert and leader of keeping up morale.
Sir Swanson, a birdman. Historian and Harvey's second-in-command on the ship.
Madame Bangle, a catwoman. Head medic and biological and botanical expert.
Mister Bobby, a priman. Head engineer and technician.
The crew is made up of proportionally, birdmen, priman and then other subspecies of animen.

Ships: The Concordus Anima. A dark blue airship.

“One day you wake up and realize the world can be conquered.” - Doctor Impossible

Race: Human, mostly - like most Arelish aristocrats, there's enough elfin blood in there to lend him pointy ears, improved reflexes and a weak constitution.

Description: A gaunt old gentleman, with severely balding grey hair and a neatly-kept silver moustache. Usually wears a suit (or at least a waistcoat) and a monocle, which he obsessively polishes. Carries an umbrella at all times while outside.

Nation: The Empire of Areland, which, for brevity's sake, can be described as a fantastic version of Victorian England, where the culture did not advance with the new technology. Top hats and overbuilt dirty factories abound, flooding the streets between their glittering towers with thick industrial smog. Rich in resources, made wealthy by the sale of high-tech manufactured goods and cutting-edge weapons, and protected by sheer mountains and tumultuous waters, this aloof kingdom clings to its aristocracy as a sign of a golden age it never really had, and its arrogance and ambition see it as an imperialist contender.

Ambition: Discovery, dear boy! To see the unknown, catalogue it, and write a bloody good book about it to publish back home!

Bio: Born to a titular baron with a silver spoon in his mouth and quick to take to books as a child, HR Twinesworth excelled in many fields of study, and inevitably took a career with the Royal Academy of Scientists once it became available to him. His specialized fields were history and anthropology, and he had a strong fascination with archaeology. Though he is not the most preeminent scientist in any one field, his slightly crazed insistence on being there personally at dig-sites and anywhere else the cutting edge of science could be found earned him something of a maniacal reputation among his peers. Regardless, his commitment earned him the Order Chivalric of the Empire, a high civilian honour (which had nothing to do with his esteemed noble background, of course). When the possibility of exploring a new world came up, he didn't need to be convinced to jump in, diving headfirst into the unknown.

Rumours:
They say Professor Twinesworth was responsible for discovering the first ever cave paintings.
They say Professor Twinesworth secretly trains with historic weapons such as the bow and arrow and is a master at their use.
They say Professor Twinesworth inherited a huge estate worth millions of credollars.
They say Professor Twinesworth refuses to even consider wasting his time on courting, since noble romance is heavily politicized in Areland and all that.
They say Professor Twinesworth once went into an active battlefield to investigate an archaeological dig site dating from the Old Imperium.

Minions: HR Twinesworth is not the only child of Areland travelling on this expedition, as Emperor Edwin decided that the Arelish would contribute a national contingent to the expedition. Funded by the crown, this expedition includes scientists, grey-coated soldiers and all kinds of colonists. Though HR is happy to travel with anyone, his countrymen will no doubt make good companions. (Of course, this 'national contingent' is actually just going to confirm that colonization is possible and identify the immediate stumbling blocks. Once that is confirmed, Emperor Edwin wants to establish a separate national colony to exploit the local resources and population, and build a true empire.)

Ships: Professor Twinesworth travelled on the Indomitable, a ship which is not his but Emperor Edwin's. Most of the Arelander contingent are on the ship, along with the other explorers and colonists they were obliged to carry. HR Twinesworth is quite welcoming to the foreign explorers he shares the boat with, if a little haughty - most of the other Arelish are far more arrogant and insular.